Tai Chi & Chi Kung for health

Understanding Tai Chi Chuan & Chi Kung For Health

Highly refined, healthful, relaxing, gentle stretching, deep breathing, low-impact, health & wellness exercises for all ages

What are tai chi & chi kung?

Tai chi & chi kung are highly refined Chinese health exercises rooted in traditional Chinese health arts & traditional Chinese martial arts, developed over a period of about 1500 years. There are no other forms of exercise whose benefits are so highly researched. Millions of people around the world practice tai chi & chi kung daily for its physical & mental health benefits.

Tai chi & chi kung consist of a series of choreographed consecutive movements which are generally performed in a slow relaxed fashion resembling a dance. An entire routine is coined as a ‘set’, ’sequence’, ‘form’, or hence, ‘routine.’

Tai chi & chi kung are utilized as forms of physical therapy quite specific to particular needs or simply as refined health & wellness exercises. One of the many goals of tai chi & chi kung is to learn to move fluidly, so that one’s whole body moves in a connected fashion – while practicing diaphragmatic breathing in time with the movements.

Physical benefits of practicing tai chi & chi kung

Tai chi & chi kung are moderate, low impact exercises especially suited for persons with stressful lifestyles. They can be practiced without expensive or cumbersome equipment in a relatively small area.

They are an excellent method for stretching and relaxing both muscles & joints due to their slow movements & extended arm & leg positions. They gently increase the heart rate while significantly increasing the volume of blood flow. This strengthens the heart without producing cardiovascular exhaustion.

They also emphasize slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing which reduces accumulated stress by-products & increases the oxygen level of the blood. This promotes oxygen uptake in the brain & facilitates the secretion of endorphins & other relaxing hormones which abbreviate pain & create a sense of well-being.

Worldwide, these arts are the most widely practiced exercises

For those that learn them well, they are exercises which one will always have & realize greater mastery of over one’s whole lifetime. In contrast, they can simply be exercises which are ongoingly enjoyed within a class setting. Class settings are social, relaxed, comfortable, & casual.

Mental benefits of practicing tai chi & chi kung

They are commonly described as ‘internal’ art forms & exercises, e.g., because of their emphasis on mental awareness. The use of concentration to guide the movements of the body focuses the mind & relieves mental strain. The worries & issues of daily life are released as the practitioner moves slowly & gracefully through the routines. This state of mindfulness – relaxed yet alert, blossoms over into everyday living & greatly reduces stress. The mental & physical benefits of these arts are realized immediately, though as one’s skill evolves the benefits clearly evolve.

Who can practice tai chi & chi kung?

They can be practiced by anyone who is able to walk slowly up stairs. The routines can even be modified in their level of difficulty depending upon one’s physical condition or ability. Tai chi & chi kung are of significant benefit for those recovering from cardiovascular disorders such as heart attack, hypertension, coronary artery disease, & respiratory disorders. Arthritic diseases also respond well to the low-impact exercise methodology of these exercises. Among the plethora of benefits realized in the practice of tai chi & chi kung, senior citizens in particular enjoy improved balance – due in part from the slow shifting of weight from side to side.

Tai chi & chi kung techniques/sets can be practiced at either a non-strenuous or a more difficult level of exercise, depending on one’s individual needs, abilities, & interests. From the perspective of the school & its tradition, it is very important to realize that our clear primary goal/concern is the well-being of our students & clients, e.g., inclusive of nurturing wellness of the body, mind, & spirit – at a level in which each student is comfortable, willing, & ready.

About Us

Mason City Tai Chi~Chi Kung~Kung Fu & Wellness Center LLC

11 East State St.
Mason City, IA
50401
Call/Text: 641-423-2648
E-Mail: glenh1080@gmail.com

Business Hours

Mondays & Thursdays: 3pm to 8pm
Tuesdays & Wednesdays: 2:30pm to 8pm
Fridays: 2:30pm to 7pm
Saturdays: Noon to 7pm
**Morning & Sunday appointments are available upon request.

Contact Us

Mason City Tai Chi~Chi Kung~Kung Fu & Wellness Center LLC

11 East State St.
Mason City, IA
50401
Call/Text: 641-423-2648
E-Mail: glenh1080@gmail.com

Mason City Tai Chi~Chi Kung~Kung Fu & Wellness Center LLC